Corncrib, grain bin, and other sheet-metal structure



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HAMES CQRNCRIB, GRAIN BIN. AND OTHER SHEET METAL STRUCTURE and May 22-, 1923 3mm harry 6. f/me s' Patented Sept. 23, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY C. HAMES, OQB COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO F. O. SCHOEDINGER, OF COLUMBUS, OI-IIO.

UORNGRIB, GRAIN BIN, AND OTHER SHEET-METAL STRUCTURE.

Application filed May 22, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY C. Harms, a citizen of the United States, residing in Columbus, in the county of Franklin, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corncribs, Grain Bins, and Other Sheet-Metal Structures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in corn cribs, grain bins and other sheet metal structures, and has for its primary objectto provide the sheet metal walls of such structures with improved means for effecting the ventilation of. the interiors of said structures, the fundamental purpose thereof being to admit of the necessary ventilation of said structures and yet to exclude water and moisture to the greatest possible extent.

Another important feature of the invention resides in the provision of a Ventilator formation in sheet metal walls, which will possess the desired features of air entrance and water exclusion and in combination therewith will possess a maximum degree of inherent mechanical strength, so that the integral tongues or lips forming the struc ture will not be injured or forced out of shape during shipment, storage, erection or use of the walls.

In prior devices proposed for accomplishing these other purposes, it has been customary to stamp out of the sheet metal walls outwardly projecting offset tongues, which when in perfect position are capable of successful use in providing for the necessary ventilation and moisture exclusion, but these tongues by reason of the positions which they occupy are very apt and do become bent, twisted and distorted to an extent which oftentimes overcomes or thwarts the very purpose for which they are desired, this mainly due to the fact that such prior tongues are only connected along one of their edges with the main body of a wall, the main portion of the tongue being ex, tended and} spaced from the wall to cover the ventilating openings, with the result thatit is very easy for the tongues to hecome bent and useless in accomplishing their intended purpose.

With the provision of the present invention an improved arrangement of offset in tegral lips is provided in a sheet metal wall, the said lips being of substantially semiin forming the chord edge of said Serial No. 562,826.

circular form and have their chord edges transversely spaced to admit of the formation of air passages, the upper of said lips being of dished, outwardly depressed form so as to extend outwardly from the main body of the wall in which the lips are formed, while the lower of said lips is forced outwardly in a similar manner to a certain extent, but has its inner part depressed to space the chord edges, the construction being such that when viewed in said relation, the ventilating opening will be substantially concealed from view, or in other words, the chord edges will be terminated in a substantially similar plane, for the purpose of excluding moisture and yet to afford a maximum ventilation.

Another object of the invention rests in pressing both of said lips outwardly in order that the same will be disposed beyond the confines of the interior of a grain bin structure, in order that the edges of the lips may be maintained in a position independent of the interior contents of a grain bin or other structure and'will not serve in any manner to support such contents, thus relieving the wall of undue strain and permitting the contents to rest directly upon the floor of the structure.

A further object of the invention resides lips relatively angular with respect to each other so that water in flowing over the lips will, by the action of capillarity, be directed toward the outermost points of the lips and spaced from the wall to further assist in the exclusion of moisture.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear as the description proceeds, the

invention consists in the novel features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts, hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference denote like and corresponding parts throughout the several views thereof:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a corn crib structure.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail perspective view.

Fig. 3 is a Vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

tion and other damaging influences, I

formed the wallv 1 at each ventilator opening'w-ith a pair of semi-circular lips, the upper of which being designated by the numeral 2, and the lower by the numeral 8. Theselips are preferably, .in the manufacture of the wall, stamped outof the metal comprising the body thereof, and the accompanying drawings illustrate the invention in this form, although it will be obvious that this manner of manufacture is not essentially necessary, in that the lips could be separately formed from the body of the metal and suitably secured thereto if desired. It will be observed that the upper lip 2, which constitutes one-half of the ventilator, is provided with a semicircular outer \edge 4, and with a beveled downwardly converging chord edge 5. The lip is outwardly depressed, so that the body of the lip will be located in a plane disposed materially spaced from the outer surface of the wall 1. In this manner water trickling downthe outer surface of the wall will contact with the outwardly pressed and dished lip 2, and therefore, by capillarity will be drawn away from said wall toward the chord edge of the lip. At this juncture ,it will be noted that the chord edge converges toward the center of the lip to the apex 6, and by this construction the natural .tendency of the water is to flow along the edge 5 until it reaches the apex 6, and will then drop off of :said upper lip at a point specially spaced of the exterior surface of the wall. At this point attention is called to the fact that the lip 2 is joined to the wall 1 along the full length of the circumferential edge-4, and by this construction the lip is of marked strength. It is in this particular primarily that the present invention differs from prior structures, and the strength of the lip is materially increased.

The lower lip 2 is also of semi-circular formation and its circumferential edge 7 co-operates with the edge t to complete a full circle, or to render the ventilator substantially circular when viewed in front elevation. The lower lip, however, differs from the uper lip in that the inner portion of the lower lip is inwardly de ressed as shown at 8, so that the chord ec ge of the lower lip will be inwardly spaced from the corresponding edge 5 of the provide a ventilator opening thickness across the width of the ventilator roper. This opening extends across the ull width of the ventilator, but by reason of the juxtaposition of the edges 5 and 9 and by reason of the fact that the upper lip projects outwardly farther than the lower lip, an ample space is provided for allowing of a complete and sufficient circulation of air through the ventilator at all times and yet to overcome the undue entrance of the elements. The lower li is also joined to the body of the wall 1 :1 mg the scmicircular edge 7, thus producing a structure of marked rigidity.

In view of the foregoing it will be observed that the present invention provides a sheet metal wall with an improved ventilator structure formed integral with the wall and so constructed as to provide for the free entrance or passage of air through the structure in a substantially upward direction, or as indicated by the arrows in Figure 2. Moreover, the formation of the ventilator structure is such as to shed water freely and easily, plevcnting such water from passing through the ventilator passage of the structure and overcoming many of the inherent deficiencies existing in other prior devices, for example, weakness in mechanical strength. It is to the end of overcoming this weakness that the present invention has been primarily addressed, the structure produced as a result which will successfully withstand shocks, pressures and strains incident to shipment and other handling and usage.

It will be noted particularly, by reference to Figure 2, that the lips both project outwardly with respect to the wall 1. Therefore, the inner surfaces of the wall 1 will be left free and unobstructed by the inclusion of the lips. In other words, the chord e es of both of said lips are so situated as not to project into or within the confines of the inner surface of the wall 1. Thus, by this construction, corn or other grain located within a structure may rest directly upon the base or floor thereof and not in any way upon the offset edges of the "entilator lips.

hat is claimed is:

1. In a ventilator for sheet metal walls. a pair of lips integrally formed with said wall, each of said lips being joined to said wall along semi-circular lines, the lower of said lips being provided with a de )ressed body portion, whereby the chord e( ges of said lips will be transversely spaced from one another to provide air passages, the said chord edge of the upper lip being provided with relatively inclined portions forming a centralized drip point, and the said lips being further formed so that the edges upper lip to of maximum thereof will be maintained outside of the vertical plane defining the inner surface of said wall.

2. A ventilator for sheet metal walls, comprising a pair of complemental lips projecting outwardly from a sheet metal wall and joined to said wall along semi-circular boundary lines, said lips being provided with adjacent chord edges relatively spaced in a transverse direction so that the upper of said lips will extend outwardly along its chord edge beyond the corresponding edge of the lower lip, whereby an air inlet space or opening is produced between said edges having its effective inlet area disposed solely in a transverse plane, and said lips being formed further to occupy positions lying entirely beyond the confining limits of the inner surface of said wall.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 20 name to this specification.

HARRY C. HAMES. 

